3 - Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration 1558 -88

Question 1

What were the attitudes towards education in the Elizabeth Era

Answer 1

• no national system of education
• purpose of education was to help people prepare for their expected roles in life, so it was only focused on practical skills and possible basic literacy
• only an estimated 15-20% of the population could read and write
• very few children actually went to school and all schools had fees
• the view was that only the rich needed to attend. People saw no need to provide a formal education for the vast majority of the population, especially the labouring classes

Question 2

What were the changing influences on education?

Answer 2

• By early 1500s, philosophers called Humanists were arguing that education was valuable and not merely a way of preparing people for a role in life - This meant educational opportunities gradually improved during Elizabeth’s reign.
• Protestants argued that people ought to be able to study the scriptures. This required people to be able to read, boosting literacy.
• growth of the printing press meant books became less expensive, giving people more opportunities to read.
• growth of trade in the Elizabethan era required ordinary people to be able to read, write and understand maths so they could record transactions properly. This encouraged more people to become literate.

Question 3

What was Elizabethan education like (types of schools)?

Answer 3

Petty schools (up to age 10):
- Run privately from people’s homes. Attended by children of the gentry, merchants, yeoman farmers and craftsmen

Parish schools (till 10):

• Set up locally by Church and run by clergy
• Taught basic literacy to children of yeoman farmers and craftsmen

Private tutors:
- Delivered education privately to members of nobility, who often finished their education in the household of another noble family

Grammar schools (boys 10 - 14):

• Provided an education independently of the Church and charged fees, although scholarships were available for poorer families. Attended by the children of the gentry, merchants, yeoman farmers and craftsmen.
• Boys were taught the Bible, debating, Latin, French, Greek and philosophy.
• Sons of yeomen farmers and craftsmen were taught reading, writing and mathematics

Universities (14/15 onwards):

• 2 universities - oxford and Cambridge
• there you studied geometry, music, astronomy, philosophy, logic and rhetoric (persuasive speaking used in law), medicine, law and divinity.
• the highest possible university qualification was the doctorate

Question 4

What was educating girls like?

Answer 4

• many girls received no formal education at all as it was felt that they wouldn’t need it
• Girls from better off families attended Dame Schools run by wealthy women in their homes
• Wealthy girls had private tutors

Question 5

What were the changes in education, 1558-88?

Answer 5

• New grammar schools meant children were now educated independently of the church - Scholarships allowed people from poorer backgrounds to receive an education.
• Literacy improved, especially in towns. This was the combined result of the printing press, parish schools and the need to read the scriptures.

Question 6

What kinds of leisure activities did the nobility take part in?

Answer 6

Hunting - took place on horseback with hounds or with birds (hawking). Involved men and women.
Fishing - done by men and women.
Real tennis - played indoors (men only). A cross between modern tennis and squash that was increasingly popular.
Bowls - Similar to the modern game (men only).
Fencing - Undertaken with blunted swords (men only).

Question 7

What kinds of leisure activities did the farmers, craftsmen and the lower classes take part in?

Answer 7

Football - Men only. The aim was to get the ball into the other side’s goal, although the rules varied. No limit on the numbers involved or size of pitch. Could be very violent - men were often killed during matches.
Wrestling - men of all classes took part in public wrestling matches with people gambling on the outcome

Question 8

What kinds of spectator sports were there in Elizabethan England?

Answer 8

Baiting - involved watching animals fight to death. Typically, dogs were encouraged to attack chained bears and bulls, and bets were made on the outcomes of fights.
Cock-fighting - Cockerels attacked each other using metal spurs and their beaks. In many small towns, special arenas were built for cock-fighting. Money was bet on the outcomes of these fights

Question 9

What was Literature and the theatre like?

Answer 9

• a lot of new literature was written during Elizabeth’s reigns although medieval literature, such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, remained popular
• mystery plays, popular with many Catholics, were replaced with new non-religious (secular) plays. These were shown in purpose-built theatres, such as the Red Lion, the Globe and the Rose.
• comedies, performed by teams of professional players funded by wealthy noblemen, were very popular. Sponsors included the Queen, and the Earl of Leicester and their performers were known as Queen’s Men and Leicester’s Men.
• all social classes attended the theatre, so purpose-built theatres had to be built to accommodate growing audiences

Question 10

What was music and dancing like?

Answer 10

• many Elizabethans played instruments, including lutes (similar to guitars)m spinets and harpsichords (similar to pianos).
• musical performances were popular - musicians were paid to play at official functions or public events. Music was also played at fairs and markets, or on public occasions, in churches, taverns, barbers’ shops and on the streets. Wealthy families employed their own musicians (always men) to play during meals and feasts. Books of songs were also popular.
• Music was also written to accompany plays performed in public theatres
• Dancing remained a popular pastime, as it brought together men and women, although the upper and lower classes didn’t dance together